White Horse
by PrettyLittleAgent
Summary: It was becoming increasingly obvious to Aria that by the age of 20, she'd have more then enough material to write 20 Taylor Swift albums. A Prince, an AP course in romance, and a boyfriend-stealing babysitter? Country music would never see her coming.
1. Chapter 1

_**A little background so you don't get lost!** Vistolles is a fictional island nation set in the Atlantic between France and England. Both French and English are spoken there. It's the home of one of the world's largest Navies and a very modern and very popular royal family. In this story it was there, instead of Iceland, that the Montgomery family went on Byron's sabbatical._

**I own nothing related to Pretty Little Liars. **_Vistolles and Nick are mine though.  
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Great. Wonderful. Stupendous. Fantastic. Her boyfriend was right now having coffee and most likely falling head over heels in love with her former babysitter who, as she knew only too well, was everything in Aria that Ezra had fallen for and then some. She also lacked two very important qualities that made her even more perfect for him, namely she wasn't his student and she wasn't underage. The joy she had felt earlier from the saving of her relationship by A was turning into dread. Now instead of Ezra riding off into the sunset in a heroic turn, sacrificing this life he'd been building here in order to keep her safe and maintain his principles, he was gonna dump her after falling in love with an older model. Her little Greek tragedy was quickly turning into a trashy dollar-store paperback.

She knew that in a couple of hours her dejection and melancholy would leave and then the jealous, fight-for-your-man Aria would come out. Right now, though, she just felt like wallowing. She turned down the street towards the coffee shop Ezra and Simone were meeting at, deciding to fill a need to be a glutton for punishment. Pushing her bag up higher on her shoulder, she braced herself for the sight she would most likely be seeing... would they be kissing yet or just laughing at each other over some funny Kafka joke? She stopped in her tracks, though, when her cell went off, chiming a ring she didn't normally hear. It was the ringtone only he had, and it never went off nearly as much as she, or him, wanted.

Smiling brightly, she stuck her hand in her pocket and quickly got out her phone, bringing it to her ear. "You know, I shouldn't even be answering this phone call, considering how COMPLETELY angry I am with you right now"

_"Oh Love, I'm sorry, I know I've been an complete arse these past few weeks. You know how terribly busy it gets, though, what with school and my duties and-"_

"All the partying and girlfriends?" Aria rolled her eyes as she teased, leaning back against the wall of Mitchell's books, choosing to talk to Nicholas instead of bringing on the heartbreak.

_ "Ma Bichette, you know I love no one but you... alas, you will not give me the time of day, so I must numb my pain in ladies and liquor" _After a moment of silence laughter burst out on both ends of the line, the twosome enjoying the utter nonsense they could speak to one another and know they weren't being judged. It was the way the two of them had met, actually. She had been sitting in a pub in the market district of Vistolles' capital, Amisette, when Nicholas and a group of his friends had walked in, the security detail not far behind. Of course she had known who he was the moment she'd seen him. Most of the world could spot Nicholas Charles Eric Étienne, Crown Prince of Vistolles, at a glance, and then start to fawn over her, but she hadn't been that interested. Her heart had just been crushed by a beautiful boy named Jean, and she was just convinced that Nicholas was like all the high-rollers in this town: arrogant and spoiled. He was the type of guy she wouldn't give the time of day.

Unfortunately for Aria, girls that weren't interested in him where exactly the ones that caught his eye, and before long her session of reading _Wuthering Heights_ was interrupted by Nick leaning up against the bar, looking down at her book and then at her. He'd offered her a chance to chat with the author, and she'd asked him how exactly he planned on getting someone dead for 160 years to speak. He'd floundered around for a second before looking at her weakly and muttering something about a séance, but Aria had already started laughing and couldn't help but say yes when he asked if he could sit down so they could talk about where exactly they could find a ghost whisperer. They'd spoken for hours, and then met again and again and what he'd hoped to be a fling had turned into a friendship that always seemed to teeter between siblings and romance.

They really didn't have much in common, but they both appreciated what the other loved. He was in college and she was in high school, but she was more than able to keep up with him on the academic front, and she'd actually been part of the reason he'd passed his American Lit course. They'd both met the others parents (Aria had felt so nervous meeting the King and Queen that she thought she was going to throw up) and been met with stamps of approval. The one thing no one ever seemed to get was why they weren't dating, as everyone could see they cared for each other so much. They'd tried kissing once, but after a few moments they'd pulled apart, declaring that the magic just wasn't there... yet. So Nicholas had continued to look for pretty girls to dance with and Aria had kept on searching for that perfect guy to read Chaucer with, although both always turning to the other for their opinion. When Aria had announced that she was moving back to America they had both been devastated, but had realized there was more than enough technology to allow them to keep in touch, and they knew that it was a very real possibility that Aria would return in just a few years to go to university there. They had parted with a simple "See you later" and remained in close contact ever since.

Nick with the person that Aria shared everything with, except for the whole A thing. She'd told him about her Dad's affair ages ago and when the whole thing had blown up, he'd been the first she'd called. After meeting Ezra at the bar and making out with him in the bathroom of all places, she'd picked up the phone and dialed Nick, who was quite impressed with her daring behavior. When she'd found out he was her teacher, Nick had simply listened, and during all the ups and downs she and Ezra had, he never passed judgment. She wasn't the only one doing the calling, however. He had a lovely habit of calling her when he was drunk or when he needed help with a class, but he also called her when he was overwhelmed by all the things being a future King meant or when the press attention was too much. Aria was almost surprised A had never made mention of them, but she figured that she most likely didn't want to mess with anyone who had Secret Service protection when they came to town.

"So how has your pain management regiment been working then?" Aria's laughter died down as she waited for a response, a groan being her only answer at first.

_"Bloody miserable my darling... as you are more than aware, nothing compares to you."_ She loved the way Nicholas spoke, full of endearments and sentiment. She wished she could hear words like that coming out of Ezra's mouth. _"So that's why I've made the decision to go for a more... direct approach"_

"Oh God Nicholas, you aren't gonna start using drugs, are you?" She was half serious and half joking, but was relieved when the answer she got was a laugh of disbelief.

_"Are you kidding me? First of all drugs are wretched things, plus I would be a complete nutter on them. First time I took them I'd probably be on top of the palace, saluting my subjects with my ass hanging out of my pants."_ Aria laughed at the image while at the same time deeming it very probable. _"No, I'm afraid drugs just aren't for me. Soooooo, I decided what better way to dull the pain of not seeing you then by actually coming and seeing you." _Her breath hitched with excitement. Nick was coming to Rosewood! In a day of bad news, this was a beacon of light she was incredibly grateful for.

"You're coming here? When? For how long?"

_"The entire Autumn break love, from one Saturday to the next. You have me that entire time. Hell, I might even go to school with you so I can, you know, check out my competition."_

"There might not be much of that anymore for you to worry about" Aria allowed her pessimism to come out again, this time wrapped with bitterness.

_"Trouble in paradise?"_

"Yeah, my older and legal twin has her eyes set on Ezra and he seems to be going right along with it. They're off falling in love over coffee as we speak."

_"Twin?"_

"Yeah, ummmm, that babysitter I told you about, you know, the one I worshiped and wanted to be just like."

_"And let me guess, you did too good of a job?"_

"You could say that again...hey wait, did you say you were coming for your break? The break that runs right about now?"

_"There's that sharp mind of yours kicking in."_

"You're here right now, aren't you?" Aria's heart was beating faster, the excitement of knowing he was here was quickly getting to her.

_"Why don't you take a look to your left and tell me?"_ Pushing off against the wall, Aria turned her head to gaze down the street, her eyes falling quickly on the figure of a smiling Nicholas standing on the sidewalk in front of the Coffee Place, her target this entire time. He was in classic Nickware, a sweater, jeans, and a great grey coat she'd helped him pick out. His black aviators were still on his face, but the moment her eyes had locked onto him, he'd pushed them up so they rested on top of his head. His eyes, crinkled with happiness, were a welcome sight for her. She could make out that people were starting to stare at him, most likely realizing they had royalty in their midst. Had she not been so excited, she probably would have noticed Ezra and Simone among those now watching him from the Coffee Place patio, but at that moment all she cared about was the fact that Nick, the person who could seemingly solve any problem with a few words, was there to see her.

Throwing her phone into her bag, she quickly booked it down the sidewalk, running as fast as her heels could allow. Nick started laughing as he threw his arms open, preparing for the tornado that was an excited Aria. Not missing a beat, Aria basically launched herself into his arms, he quickly catching her and spinning her around, still finding her to be one of the nicest things to ever hold. "I've missed you so much" Aria mumbled into his coat, almost starting to cry because of just how much more secure she felt with him around.

"Me too Ma Bichette, me too"

The twosome didn't care much about the small group of watchers that they were gaining, but the same couldn't be said for the group. Two people in particular had very strong feelings about what they were witnessing. Simone, still feeling that sisterly bond, was partly confused, wondering how exactly Aria knew the infamous Crown Prince so well, but mostly happy to see her smiling like that and having joy radiating off her. Ezra shared that same confusion, but he wasn't sharing in the happiness. Instead he felt like his stomach had just dropped out and the coffee he'd been drinking wanted to come back up. It was an intense case of jealousy that was overcoming him, and all he could think of as he watched another guy, a Prince none the less, twirling his girlfriend around in the middle of a public street was _What the hell?_

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**Check my profile page for a collage of Crown Prince Nicholas, being played by the gorgeous Ed Westwick. For those wondering, _Ma Bichette _is French for_ my little doe_, which I personally think is perfect for Aria.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow guys, your response to this story has blown me away! I'm so glad you like Nick... he really is fun to write.**

**In addition to the changes I've already made to the episode, I'm doing another. Instead of a dance-a-thon, the school is having something more like a ball/gala with an auction. More on that in later chapters.**

**Again, I don't own PLL or anything connected to it. Nick, however, is mine.**

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"I can't believe you came all this way without even telling me!" Aria happily shrieked at Nick, hitting him on the arm as soon as he put her down.

"For god's sake woman, don't hit me... I'm going to have to start calling you mon petit bagarreur" Nick rubbed his arm, finding her punch to be a bit more forceful then before. Years of French class and her time spent in Vistolles gave Aria a good grasp of the language, so her response to the nickname she clearly understood to be _my little fighter_ was to simply hit him once again, muttering about idiot royalty under her breath.

The two of them would have most likely continued to joke around right there on the sidewalk had it not been for the clearing of a throat behind them. Aria and Nick turned towards the intrusion and she wanted to swallow herself whole when she saw the bright and smiley face of Simone and the... well she really wasn't sure of the best word to describe the look Ezra had. She was sure that it was supposed to be a smile, but it seemed to have gotten messed up on the way from his brain to his mouth. His lips quirked upwards in a way that looked almost painful and his brow was furrowed.

"Simone! Mr. Fitz! What a surprise!" The moment she said Fitz, Aria saw out of the corner of her eye Nick straighten up. She could only imagine the appraising look being sent Ezra's way. She was hoping against hope that Ezra was too focused on her to notice the look he was getting, but, like any male would, he was looking more at the competition than anything else at the moment. She could see signs of confusion in Ezra, he was probably wondering why exactly Nick was looking at him like that. She caught the exact moment he realized that Nick knew everything. His eyes grew wide and he looked towards her. He was a second too late though, since Aria had seen it coming and quickly averted her eyes back to Simone.

"I could say the same thing! I don't think I've ever seen you so animated before, except maybe when you heard Justin Timberlake was coming to town." Aria laughed, only sounding a bit forced and uncomfortable. Simone was still all smiles as she darted her eyes between Aria and Nick, obviously trying to force an introduction and get the scoop on what exactly their relationship was. Aria noted that for the moment Simone seemed to have lost any interest in the guy beside her, which was probably a good thing because one look at the way Ezra was glaring at Nick would blow the lid off everything. She almost wanted it to happen, almost wanted Simone to realize that Ezra was very much not single and very much dating her, but her better angels reminded her of all the pain that could cause, how it could ruin Ezra's life, and she let it go. Instead, she decided that placating Simone's interest, while simultaneously letting Ezra know in no uncertain terms that Nick was simply a friend, was the best thing to do.

"Well lets be fair, Justin Timberlake is pretty exciting... definitely someone to jump around about."

"So I'm as exciting as Justin Timberlake, hmm?" Aria rolled her head to her side to glare at Nicholas, who was in turn looking at her with that satisfied smirk of his that both annoyed and thrilled her. Aria would never deny the fact that she found Nicholas extremely attractive or that he had the ability to turn her on, but she wasn't the type of person who put much faith in physical reactions like that. You could have a physical connection with any number of people, but emotional and mental chemistry was something entirely different, and for the two of them it was strictly platonic. Nothing at all like it was with her and Ezra.

"Don't push your luck Nicky" His eyes narrowed with annoyance like they always did when she called him that. Aria smiled serenely before turning back to Simone, briefly catching a glimpse of Ezra, who now seemed to be intent on studying her and Nick, obviously trying to figure out just what was going on between the two of them. Simone seemed to be smiling even more now, her obvious happiness for what she perceived to be her former charge's relationship was clear. Aria felt bad for slightly hating her at that moment, she knew Simone didn't mean to be making moves on Aria's man, but that logic still wasn't able to stop the small bit of rage bubbling in her chest. "Don't mind Nicholas, his self-absorbency is borderline ridiculous." The exaggerated gasp from Nicholas' direction immediately caused Aria to laugh, and it was made worse by the dramatic way he grabbed his chest.

"Ma Bichette, you wound me with your words." Aria shook her head at Nick's antics while he slid his attention over to Simone and Ezra. "Don't listen to a word she says, she's all lies that one." He thumbed in Aria's general direction, knowing, but not actually seeing, that a middle finger salute was being sent his way. "And since she doesn't seem to be planning on introducing us, I'll just go ahead and do it myself" He extended his right hand towards Simone and dialed up the charm smile, the classic _Nick _maneuver. "Nick Beaumont, it's a pleasure to meet you" Aria rolled her eyes at the way Simone's face broke into a giddy grin, the reaction most girls had when they thought they were getting special treatment by not having him put up the princely front.

She ignored their exchange of pleasantries in favor of a glance at Ezra, who was looking at her in confusion, like a man desperate to figure out what exactly was going on around him. Aria begged him with her eyes to act civil, trying to convey that she would explain everything when she got the chance. She wasn't sure if he got her exact message, but regardless he put on a forced face of interest and cordiality and delivered a perfect handshake and greeting to Nicholas, who was back to smirking again. It always worried Aria when he would start smirking like that. It usually meant he was up to something, and now was definitely not the time for him to be acting up.

"So, Nick, if you don't mind my asking, what brings you to Rosewood?" Ezra's voice was filled with the proper amount of curiosity and Aria silently applauded him for his good behavior. Her happiness was short lived though as she felt Nick slip his arm casually around her shoulders, a possessive move that was sure to make Ezra jealous. By the way his eyes hardened, Aria could tell that it did.

"Why this pretty lass right here" He tightened his hold on Aria as if to demonstrate his affection for her, the eye-roll at his answer and movement was caught by all involved. "My Uni is on a week-long break and considering I haven't seen Aria for months, and telephone calls are so limiting, I figured it was as good a time as any to come and see her" Simone was fawning over his words, probably thinking of this as some sort of romantic gesture.

"What a sweet thing to do. So how long have you two been seeing each other?" Aria immediately starting shaking her head, a litany of No quickly following. She even detangled herself from Nick too, as if distance would prove her point.

"No, no, no, no, no... just no. We have never and will never be _seeing_ each other." She glanced over at Nick, looking him up and down before turning back towards Simone, who now sported a remarkably dejected look. You would think it was her that Aria had just summarily rejected. Ezra, on the other hand, suddenly appeared to be radiating joy, obviously he liked what he heard.

"That's too bad" Simone lamented, but a certain spark seemed to light up in her eye, and Aria guessed she was probably going to try her hand at matchmaking. "Not to make you uncomfortable, but he seems perfect for you... you always did like the older boys"

"You have no idea" The dry response got out before Aria could contain herself, and with it an avalanche of motion occurred. Nick suddenly jumped back and bent over in hysterics so intense that he almost fell onto the sidewalk. Ezra, who had been sipping from a coffee Aria hadn't notice he had, was coughing furiously, trying to dispel the liquid that had gone down the wrong way, his eyes wide once again in shock. He hadn't expected smartass Aria to make an appearance. Simone, herself amazed at Aria's words, was patting Ezra on the back, asking him if he was ok or needed anything. He waved away her attention, saying he was fine and smiling reassuringly at her before turning his attention back to Aria, who was simply grinning at everyone and enjoying the chaos she was causing a bit too much.

"Aria, can I-" Nick started but was overtaken by another bout of laughter before he calmed down enough to speak. "Can I just say that you are my absolute favorite person in the world and if you ever change I'll die of sadness and despair."

"And therein lies the problem with us" Aria directed her comment towards Simone and Ezra, as if she was teaching a class on her and Nick's relationship dynamic. "He hopes I'll never change and I pray to God every day that he will become the mature and responsible person I know is in there."

"You are making me sound so terribly horrid to these people, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go into my lovely SUV and cry in shame" Nick gestured over to the black Suburban parked a little way down the street, parts of his security team standing next to it. It was only then that Aria noticed Michael, Nicholas' long-time lead protection officer, stationed a few steps away from the small group, watching his charge carefully. He was everything a good bodyguard should be and then some. It was obvious he cared a great deal about Nicholas and Aria could only imagine the things he saw in his many years protecting the Crown Prince. Behind his rough exterior, though, was an incredibly bright man who knew as much about classical literature as he did about security tactics. Nick once told her that after the whole _Wuthering Heights_ fiasco Michael made sure literature was the one class he was not allowed to miss. The urge to run over and hug the big guy was great, but she already had that reaction to seeing one person today and she definitely didn't want to become predictable. She settled on a bright smile and a wave in Michael's direction, a stoic nod her only obvious reply, although she definitely saw his eyes brighten and crinkle just a bit.

"Oh don't worry, we're all writers here, we understand exaggeration." Ezra nodded as Simone spoke, although knowing full-well Aria wouldn't be saying anything if it wasn't at least partially true. The expected question by Simone of how the twosome met was answered with a scenario that was staggeringly similar to how he'd met Aria, although he was much smoother if he did say so himself. Small talk between them continued for a few minutes before Nick glanced at his watch and was taken aback by the time.

"As much fun is this is to rehash old memories, I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal Aria away now" Nick glanced over at her was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We have places to go and people to see" Aria looked at him quizzically, wondering just what he had planned. She knew by now Nick was capable of getting anything he wanted done, but she was surprised if he'd managed anything this quickly. Hadn't he just set foot in the state a matter of hours ago? Aria aired her thoughts out loud and Nick simply looked at the little group and grinned slyly. "I have minions, lots and lots of minions" Aria rolled her eyes while Simone laughed. Ezra, now concerned by the look Nick had, was not quite able to fake the response, and only managed a sound resembling a chuckle. Aria was getting more and more worried about what exactly she was going to be met with the next time she saw boyfriend, and what exactly her paper was going to look like when graded. She was seeing a lot of red in her future, although she couldn't help but think that green would be more appropriate.

"We better get back inside too. I had a drink I ordered but never picked up... they've probably spit in it by now" Simone joked, everyone giving the appropriate chuckle, although Aria and Ezra's were slightly lacking.

"Well you two enjoy your date and we'll enjoy ours" Aria felt a stab in her heart at Nick's words, a stab that was only dampened by the slight cringing Ezra got out. Apparently her subtle hint at the true nature of their coffee meeting was one thing for him to hear, but someone else branding it as a date was a whole other matter. She had to repress the urge to jump up and down and yell _told ya' so_ as she pointed at Ezra, knowing the trouble it would cause was not worth the one moment of gloating.

"Why thank you Nick" The lack of correction by Simone was not unexpected, but still rubbed Aria the wrong way. Ezra again cringed, his previous _just coffee_ statement now dust in the wind.

"No, no thank you Nick" Aria was shaking her head again as she looked over at Nicholas. "Do not put the concepts of me, you, and dating anywhere near each other" As Aria and Nick bantered again, Ezra was left grappling for something to save the situation. As goodbyes were exchanged and the two friends started to walk off, he blurted out the only thing he could think of to their retreating backs.

"See you tonight at the dance!" The way the pair abruptly stopped in their tracks was not what Ezra thought would happen, and he grew even more concerned when Aria turned back and looked at him in horror before spinning around to stare at Nicholas, who looked like Ezra had just told him he'd won a million dollars.

"There's a dance tonight?" Nick's voice went up an octave as he spoke, the excitement he felt hard to contain. In fact, it was almost disturbing how happy he seemed to be. Aria looked pained as she confirmed the school's fundraising gala to Nick, who grabbed her hand and started dragging her to waiting SUV with renewed vigor, saying something about how lucky it was he came when he did and how she wouldn't believe what he'd brought with him, and all sorts of other things that Ezra and Simone were unable to hear. Before Aria was pulled into the car she glanced over towards the two of them with a look that was a mixture of _help me _and, at least in Ezra's mind, _I'm so going to kill you._

The knowledge that she knew where he lived and had a key left Ezra seriously concerned for his wellbeing.

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**I hope you guys liked this chapter! Sorry it took so long to get out, I just wasn't happy with the way it was going and went through a number of re-writes.**

**A few small questions for you all that will help me not only with this story but another PLL one I'm working on. Who, or whom, do you think A is? Who do you think killed Ali?  
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	3. Chapter 3

_Nick and Aria have not been playing very nice together... therefore the story hasn't come together very well either. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but I really wanted to get something out there for you guys. Anyway, I have a couple of things to say about general stuff, but I'll save that for after this chapter!_

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"So, I've got you the perfect thing to wear to the dance tonight... just a little something I had my good friend Mister..." Nick trailed off when he caught the angry look on Aria's face.

"What the hell was that back there?"

"What was what?" Nick feigned ignorance, giving that wide-eyed look of innocence that most girls would swoon over. Most girls except Aria that is.

"Don't play dumb Nicholas, it doesn't suit you" Her pursed lips covered with gloss beckoned to be kissed and at one time he might have been able to get away with a small peck, but that time had sadly come and gone long ago. Now the only options he had to placate her were humor and charm with a smothering of the truth. Leaning against the car door he studied the girl he called his best friend before answering.

"Jealousy makes the heart grow fonder my dear, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is selling something" Nick supplied, the perversion of the classic line from The Princess Bride making Aria laugh despite herself. "Really I think you'll find that I have improved your relationship by leaps and bounds. Next time you see him he'll be brimming with a need to declare his love and devotion in order to curtail the evil advances of the dashing Prince on his beloved. Trust me, you'll be thanking me by the morning."

Aria remained unconvinced.

"Why Hans Christian Andersen, I didn't know you had moved from the realm of children's stories to relationship advice" She scoffed, Nick chuckling as he returned his attention to the large box that was at his feet. Picking it up, he turned back to look at Aria who was now glaring skeptically at the parcel he held. As he smoothed the wrapping paper with his hands, he watched as her interest was piqued, not enough for the previous conversation to be forgotten, but enough that she wouldn't be in such a foul mood over it.

"Alright, so maybe I did lay it on a bit thick back there, but seeing him looking all couple-y with another bird and knowing it was upsetting you pissed me off, and you know how I get when something upsets you" An image of Nick pummeling a guy that made an unwanted and unsettling pass at her one night came to both their minds. She smiled despite herself. Her rational side knew she shouldn't encourage his behavior, but the part of her that still believed in fairy tales loved the notion of having a (slightly tarnished) prince riding in on a white horse to save her. The notion she couldn't truly have that with Ezra yet depressed her more than it should. She was well aware of the limits on their relationship when she agreed to it but still...

"I just wanted him to have a taste of what you were feeling and, you know, make sure he's aware of the fact that there is someone out there to keep him in line" He got the last part out uncomfortably, unsure how Aria would take the news that he was deliberately trying to intimidate, or at least shake up, her boyfriend. The cocking of her head to one side told him she was intrigued, a reaction he liked much better than the berating he was expecting. "I mean, the guy's in the perfect relationship-" He put up a hand to silence the contradiction already tumbling out of Aria's mouth, "Let me finish before you naysay" She rolled her eyes but remained silent.

"As I was saying, the guy has it made. He's got no one outside of you to be held accountable too... no angry dad with a threatening shotgun, no overprotective mom with a kitchen knife and threats of castration. Hell, even Mike doesn't get a shot at him, and we know that boy has an intimidating temper." A memory of Mike being subdued after he took one of Nick's jokes the wrong way came forward in the minds of most in the car and Aria sighed sadly at the memory. She knew something was going to have to be done about Mike before he managed to snap too badly to be put back in place. "I know you said your girlfriends know, but what's the most they can do? Glare menacingly over _To Kill A Pigeon_-"

"Mockingbird" Michael corrected, unable to help himself even though he was well aware Nicholas knew what the title was.

"Oh whatever, it's the implication that's important!" Nick threw back. "Anyway, the point is the guy could flunk anyone of them in a heartbeat. The distribution of power here is ridiculously skewed."

"Anyone of us could go to the police!" Aria challenged.

"And lie to them? Because, as you have continually told me, you two have never actually done anything illegal. And yes, you could go to the principal, but the most they'd do to him is quickly and quietly shove him out the backdoor while you get known as the slut that was screwing a teacher for better grades" Aria gave him a look so fiery with rage that it could melt at least one, if not both, of the polar icecaps. Nick put his hands up in submission. "Not my words, the fictional student body's words"

"Alright, fine, you've made your point... but who died and made you-"

"King of anything?" Nick sing-songed away as he smirked.

"You are such a child" Aria complained, flopping back against her seat, her want to continue on with the conversation fleeing fast in the face of Nick's glib attitude. He had said his piece and now the conversation would either continue in the face of his lack of interest or end with his dismissal. Not being one to let Nick have the final word very often, Aria decided to throw in her two-cents (should be worth more considering it was a conversation about _her_ relationship, but whatever) before letting the whole thing drop. "Look, I'm not saying I don't appreciate what you're trying to do... it's actually slightly sweet." Nick almost seemed to puff-up proudly at her words, "However, as a rule, you really shouldn't go around antagonizing people, especially ones that mean so much to me. I love Ezra, and in order for all of this to work out, I'm gonna have to accept that the man I know and the one the world sees might have to be different." Aria turned her head to glare at Nick as she said the next part, wanting to make sure he got the message loud and clear.

"And I can't have you going around and paying extra attention to him that makes everyone wonder why he's so special and then ruins any chance of me and him ever being alone! We clear?"

"Crystal"

"Well good," Aria settled back in her seat, pleased with herself and her ability to speak rationally to the infuriating guy beside her. She looked expectantly at the package in Nick's lap before locking eyes with the future monarch. "What's in the box and, more importantly, is it for me?" Nick grinned with satisfaction as the conversation began to swing back into his favor, a fact not getting passed Aria. However, she was too absorbed by the present to really care.

"I'll have you know that there is a fantastic, custom-designed designer dress that has been carefully folded and wrapped to cross the Atlantic without damage in this little parcel" Aria was almost salivating as she began to picture what could be in that lovely box. She would have been foaming at the mouth if the memory of the last time Nick bought her a dress wasn't still fairly well engrained in her mind... the amount of double-sided tape that would have been required to actually wear it was astronomical, and she knew for a fact that that adjective would have worked well to describe her Dad's blood pressure when he'd seen the gown too. "And, for your information, it actually isn't for you..." Nick paused momentarily for dramatic effect, "it's for Byron."

Aria began to laugh earnestly, quickly drawing Nicholas into her fit. The mental image of Byron Montgomery in a dress was equal parts hilarious, terrifying, and disgusting... obviously the only reaction to have was insane amounts of laughing, or vomiting (but that wasn't an option anyone really enjoyed now was it?). The laughing only got worse when Aria's phone began to ring and her Dad's name and picture popped up. Grabbing the phone from her hand, Nick quickly put the phone on speaker, covering Aria's mouth with his other hand as he did so.

"Helllloooo" Nick drew the greeting out like he normally did, wanting to make absolutely sure Byron knew who he was speaking to before he began to talk.

A moment or two of silence passed on the other line.

"Now see, this is the point in my nightmares where I usually wake up" Byron commented, only partly kidding.

"Now Byron, is that any way to speak to someone who came all this way just to see you and your darling family? I even bought Aria a dress and everything!"

"God damn it Nicholas, if that dress requires even one piece of tape, so help me God..."

It was a comfort to Aria that no matter how confusing and chaotic life managed to get, there were still constant things you could count on. Those simple facts of life that nothing could change. You know, things like the sky being blue...the grass being green... and Nick always being able to rile up her Dad to near heart attack-inducing levels of hypertension.

_Guess he'll have to start carrying around the aspirin again this week_, Aria thought just as Nick began to almost cackle. _Yep, lots and lots of aspirin._

_

* * *

First of all, aspirin helps in the event of a heart attack, just in case that last bit didn't make sense to you.  
_

_Back to important stuff, I'm really not one of those authors big on self-promotion or who holds updates hostage until they get a certain number of reviews, however I'm gonna take a moment to step up on my soap box and tell you all to go check out my profile with links to my Polyvore and Tumblr accounts (it's the link I use as my homepage). These websites, particularly the Tumblr, have extra content from both of my stories that won't end up here. There is actually even a Byron/Nicholas short on the site that gives you a better picture of what those two are like together, as well as the one scene (at least for me) that is the ultimate Nick/Aria moment._

_Also on those sites (and expressly linked to in my profile) is another part of the reason why I've taken so long to update. I'm a student in college and I'm currently in a Creative Writing class where I'm working on a rather large story that counts for a great deal of my grade. It's a fairly time consuming business, trying to create a whole bunch of characters out of thin air, but I'm really enjoying it. The biggest challenge I'm facing at the moment is an extra-credit part of the assignment where you have to create a cover for your story, which means picking someone to play my main character... which is turning out to be easier said than done. So, what I'm asking you all to do is go over to my Tumblr or Polyvore, read this little short I wrote about the character, and then take a look at the actresses I had in mind for the part and tell me which one, if any, you think fits (also, let me know what you think of the story!). Feel free to do it in these comments, the ones on the Polyvore, or through Tumblr. I'm not going to sit here and demand you do that or anything, just know it will really help me out and once that is out of the way, I'll have more time to work on this and my other PLL story._

_Damn, this is a long note. I'm gonna just stop talking now._


End file.
